I've never made one of these bhakti scenes (I'm more of a hatha yoga/vedanta/zen kind of guy). Can anyone fill me in on what to expect? Apparently it's quite a wait to get one's darshan, so my tendency would be to spend the time in meditation...but the combo of an hour or more of meditation (far more than my 20 min normal practice) plus the bhakti blast of the darshan might be overcharging. I dont' know...I feel like a 110 volt AYP practitioner about to plug into 220 volts. Will be interesting to check the voltage compatibility!

I can give the perspective of someone who got fairly close but I guess not close enough.I went to one of her gatherings. There was alot of chanting and people dressed in white and blissful vibes. A long line to have her darshan. It just didn't seem to be that much of my scene and my date at the time was not too enthusiastic about staying so I think we missed the main event.I am curious to hear of your experience with her though. Please keep us posted.

I've never made one of these bhakti scenes (I'm more of a hatha yoga/vedanta/zen kind of guy). Can anyone fill me in on what to expect? Apparently it's quite a wait to get one's darshan, so my tendency would be to spend the time in meditation...but the combo of an hour or more of meditation (far more than my 20 min normal practice) plus the bhakti blast of the darshan might be overcharging. I dont' know...I feel like a 110 volt AYP practitioner about to plug into 220 volts. Will be interesting to check the voltage compatibility!

Actually, I've been reading up a bit further on her, and am surprised to learn that she's not a bhakti yogi. Actually she's Advaita (which is pretty close to AYP...there's a lot of Ramana Maharshi in this practice), she even teaches "I am" mantra. So now I dont' know WHAT to expect.

My main concern is not overdoing. I honestly don't understand the mechanics involved...why a bunch of hyped up folks who aren't all likely rigorous practitioners can soak up that scene for hours, meditating, getting energy-igniting hugs, etc, without overdoing and feeling burnt/fried, while if I meditate an extra hour or add any one step it's a problem (and it is...I've learned that the hard way!). Yogani would probably point out that AYP is more potent, and thus must be done more sparingly. But from what I've heard, the folks in that scene are getting some serious relentless vibes for hours. Pretty potent (which is why people fly from long distances to be at her darshan). Anyway, we'll see. I'll try to play it relatively cool.

--- In AYPforum@yahoogroups.com, victor yj <vic@y...> wrote:> I can give the perspective of someone who got fairly close but I guess not close enough.> I went to one of her gatherings. There was alot of chanting and people dressed in white and blissful vibes. A long line to have her darshan. It just didn't seem to be that much of my scene and my date at the time was not too enthusiastic about staying so I think we missed the main event.> I am curious to hear of your experience with her though. Please keep us posted.> > jim_and_his_karma <jim_and_his_karma@y...> wrote:> Amma, who's hugged more people than Oprah Winfrey, is making the rounds, and will be > on the East Coast in July. Here's the sched: http://www.amma.org/tours/amma-tours/> n_america.html> > I've never made one of these bhakti scenes (I'm more of a hatha yoga/vedanta/zen kind of > guy). Can anyone fill me in on what to expect? > Apparently it's quite a wait to get one's darshan, so my tendency would be to spend the > time in meditation...but the combo of an hour or more of meditation (far more than my 20 > min normal practice) plus the bhakti blast of the darshan might be overcharging. I dont' > know...I feel like a 110 volt AYP practitioner about to plug into 220 volts. Will be > interesting to check the voltage compatibility!> > > > > > > > > For the AYP Lessons and Books, go to:> http://www.geocities.com/advancedyogapractices --> To change your email delivery to "daily digest," send a blank email to:> AYPforum-digest@yahoogroups.com --> To stop email delivery and use "web viewing only," send a blank email to:> AYPforum-nomail@yahoogroups.com --> To resume "individual email delivery," send a blank email to:> AYPforum-normal@yahoogroups.com> You can also make these changes in "Edit my Membership" on the group home page. > > > > > ---------------------------------> YAHOO! GROUPS LINKS > > > Visit your group "AYPforum" on the web.> > To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:> AYPforum-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com> > Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of Service. > > > ---------------------------------> > > > > ---------------------------------> Yahoo! Sports> Rekindle the Rivalries. Sign up for Fantasy Football> > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

--- In AYPforum@yahoogroups.com, "Dave Moore" <riptiz@h...> wrote:> Dear Jim,> I am puzzled as to why you feel fried so easily if you meditate for > longer periods or add other steps?> L&L> dave

Hi Dave,

well, Jim can answer that but I guess he is busy. I'll take a stab at it.

He's been doing some of the AYP practices, you know, the ones in Yogani's lessons (did you check any of them out yet?). Anyway, to keep a long story short, they are pretty advanced yoga practices and you can get 'fried' in one way or another from either (a) releasing 'stuff' that needed to be cleansed from your nervous system and/or (b) merely going suddenly to greater depth in an advanced practice. Jim is experiencing some or both of these and is applying the principles of 'self-pacing' --- calibrating and measuring his practice in real-time, watching its effects --- to make sure that he does not fry himself too much. He merely seeks to avoid fried Jim, to whatever extent sensible.

There's a lot in AYP about this self-pacing. It's pretty important when the practices start to take root.

Dear Jim,I am not familiar with Amma or her teachings but my own experieces of being with guruji are as follows.In her presence you may experience all or some of the following.The gentle energies that radiate from her constantly which bathe you in love.Feelings of peace and calm.A desire to remain and soak up the energies.Life changing thoughts as a result of your meeting due to a change in consciousness and greater compassion towards others.Satisfaction with your 'lot' and the realisation that there are many worse off than you.I hope you experience all these things and enjoy darshan. God bless.L&Ldave

Dave,I've already used Advanced Yoga Practices (AYP - the topic of this group) to awaken a mediumm amount of those qualities in myself. They are innate inside each of us, and can be cultivated and harnassed with a little work. In fact, that's what we are all working on here: using AYP practices to cultivate stillness (what you call peace) and ecstatic conductivity (what you refer to as energies). And AYP works rather amazingly well and efficiently at bringing them about!

Having cultivated this stuff via my own practice, I'm curious to see what it's like externalized (which is new for me), and to see how I react (because I'm on a certain track, and unsure how the vibrations will correspond). If you mostly find yourself looking to the external for these things, you may want to give AYP a try to see what it's like to generate peace and energy from within, to see what that's like.

I hope you don't mind this "sales pitch" for AYP, but 1. it's free! and 2. you needn't abandon your guru to try it, and 3. hey, you ARE in an AYP forum! :)

--- In AYPforum@yahoogroups.com, "Dave Moore" <riptiz@h...> wrote:> Dear Jim,> I am not familiar with Amma or her teachings but my own experieces of > being with guruji are as follows.In her presence you may experience > all or some of the following.> The gentle energies that radiate from her constantly which bathe you > in love.Feelings of peace and calm.A desire to remain and soak up the > energies.Life changing thoughts as a result of your meeting due to a > change in consciousness and greater compassion towards > others.Satisfaction with your 'lot' and the realisation that there are > many worse off than you.> I hope you experience all these things and enjoy darshan. God bless.> L&L> dave

Dear Jim,I am not looking for externalisation of effects but am simply giving my experiences when I went to India to receive shaktipat.In fact the whole ashram had a gentle vibration and feeling of peace and in front of Dhyanyogi's mahasamadhi you could feel his vibrations.Yes these qualities are inside us all and as you say we develop them constantly but encounters with realised gurus usually leads to a boost in the results.Certainly with shaktipat you are never the same again and as guruji told me it is the first day of your rebirth.Simply listening to him chanting was enough to start physical kriyas within me.The AYP practices are a great gift to many especially as the meditation technique and mantra will now cost you #1200 in the UK to learn from the TM people.In my experience Hatha yoga, the mudras bhandas, pranayams etc will give you a great start but meditation will take you further, in fact without it you have little or no chance of reaching enlightenment.The effects of meditation are greater when the mantras are given by a siddha of which I have been blessed to receive, so I guess it was meant to happen.I am sure you will experience further love and harmony from Amma.L&Ldave

Jim,I have been hugged by Amma on several occasions. It was several years ago when it wasn't soo much of a mob scene. I actually did a three day weekend retreat once. I experienced it as a gentle energy. I could go deep in meditation but it was not overpowering. I also noticed different people had different experiences, but it seems, nobody overdosed.Ute

--- In AYPforum@yahoogroups.com, Ute Reeves <nowyoga@e...> wrote:> Jim,> I have been hugged by Amma on several occasions. It was several years ago > when it wasn't soo much of a mob scene. I actually did a three day weekend > retreat once. I experienced it as a gentle energy. I could go deep in > meditation but it was not overpowering. I also noticed different people had > different experiences, but it seems, nobody overdosed.> Ute

Thanks, Ute

To clarify, I'm not worried about getting my circuits blown by the enormous love spout of this woman. But the AYP practices are designed to give you all the energy and purification your system can stand - it's about finding that exact point where you're making progress but not overloading. It's a delicate line, and AYP is all about that line.

therefore i'm concerned about the effects of adding to what I'm already doing.

A few hours in meditation while waiting for darshan plus the hug itself - in addition to the practices I'm already rigorously doing - may push me over that line. But we'll see....i'll go check it out and report for the use of other AYP practitioners. Worst comes to worse, i'll get a headache or be crabby for a couple days.

I have gone to see Amma when she comes to the US almost every year since1988.I find the energy to be very calming to the nervous system. The only burnout is the long nights of sleep dep.For those just starting with Amma, the main practices that are encouragedare mantra, chanting bhajans and selfless service. Just last year, shestarted a new program called the "I Am " meditation, which is a combinationof hatha, pranayama and meditation. It is a commitment to a minimum of halfand hour a day of this practice. I have not done it yet, as my practiceplate is already full, and I want to avoid the karmic faux pas of collectingpractices without following through.

Back in the old days, they would have us do a kundalini oriented meditationpractice, which they no longer teach during the course of the retreats. Itconsists of imagining the kundalini serpent spiraling up the spine avertebra at a time. I have found it is quite effective in clearing awayblockages in the spinal energy.

--- In AYPforum@yahoogroups.com, "Sylvia Brallier" <sylvia@t...> wrote:>>. Just last year, she> started a new program called the "I Am " meditation, which is a combination> of hatha, pranayama and meditation. It is a commitment to a minimum of half> and hour a day of this practice. I have not done it yet, as my practice> plate is already full, and I want to avoid the karmic faux pas of collecting> practices without following through.> >

The I AM meditation is not new or unusual. I recall a massage teacher who used and promoted it in association with "ascended masters" of the Saint Germaine Elizabeth Claire prophet school . They use the "I AM" mantra and the phrase I AM throughout their teachings. Personally I was a bit surprised that Yogani used this particular mantra as that particular school did not appeal to me. Once I understood Yoganis perspective I tried it and very much like the mantra.

Richard <richardchamberlin14@hotmail.com> wrote:--- In AYPforum@yahoogroups.com, "Sylvia Brallier" <sylvia@t...> wrote:>>. Just last year, she> started a new program called the "I Am " meditation, which is a combination> of hatha, pranayama and meditation. It is a commitment to a minimum of half> and hour a day of this practice. I have not done it yet, as my practice> plate is already full, and I want to avoid the karmic faux pas of collecting> practices without following through.> >

I think it was Ramana Maharshi who first and most widely advocated this mantra, is that correct?

--- In AYPforum@yahoogroups.com, victor yj <vic@y...> wrote:> The I AM meditation is not new or unusual. I recall a massage teacher who used and promoted it in association with "ascended masters" of the Saint Germaine Elizabeth Claire prophet school . They use the "I AM" mantra and the phrase I AM throughout their teachings. Personally I was a bit surprised that Yogani used this particular mantra as that particular school did not appeal to me. Once I understood Yoganis perspective I tried it and very much like the mantra.> > Richard <richardchamberlin14@h...> wrote:--- In AYPforum@yahoogroups.com, "Sylvia Brallier" <sylvia@t...> wrote:> >>. Just last year, she> > started a new program called the "I Am " meditation, which is a > combination> > of hatha, pranayama and meditation. It is a commitment to a minimum > of half> > and hour a day of this practice. I have not done it yet, as my > practice> > plate is already full, and I want to avoid the karmic faux pas of > collecting> > practices without following through.> > > >> > The I AM meditation? That sounds just a bit like AYP to me!!!> > Blessings R.C.> > > > > > > For the AYP Lessons and Books, go to:> http://www.geocities.com/advancedyogapractices --> To change your email delivery to "daily digest," send a blank email to:> AYPforum-digest@yahoogroups.com --> To stop email delivery and use "web viewing only," send a blank email to:> AYPforum-nomail@yahoogroups.com --> To resume "individual email delivery," send a blank email to:> AYPforum-normal@yahoogroups.com> You can also make these changes in "Edit my Membership" on the group home page. > > > > > ---------------------------------> YAHOO! GROUPS LINKS > > > Visit your group "AYPforum" on the web.> > To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:> AYPforum-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com> > Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of Service. > > > ---------------------------------> > > > > > ---------------------------------> Yahoo! Sports> Rekindle the Rivalries. Sign up for Fantasy Football> > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

> I've never made one of these bhakti scenes (I'm more of a hathayoga/vedanta/zen kind of> guy). Can anyone fill me in on what to expect?> Apparently it's quite a wait to get one's darshan, so my tendency would be to> spend the > time in meditation...but the combo of an hour or more of meditation (far more> than my 20 > min normal practice) plus the bhakti blast of the darshan might be> overcharging. I dont' know...

First-timers normally are ushered to a special row where the wait is muchshorter - 40 minutes, if you're lucky. We got our hugs a few years back.It's a very very very very soft experience!

As for what kinda guy you are: think of Shakara, the founder of advaitavedanta, who spent the last years of his short life composing love songsto the Mother. What else is there for His Lonesomeness to do?

(pondering) My great aunt Emma was known as 'Amma' in the family.She only had one arm - lost the other to a telephone pole while holdingit out the car window. She taught me a good hiccup cure when I was 8:

"Walk around the house not thinking of a fox..."

Attempting to 'not-think' of something gives the 'thinker' somethingsubstantial to chew on. I use it today to give the 'thinker' something whileI'm meditating elsewhere.

I didn't like the scene much. Enormous retail operation going on, like a kitsch snake oil show. And we were all led in a chant which was translated for us only after we'd finished chanting it...it turned out we were pledging our devotion and loyalty to Amma. Ick. I didn't stay for the hug.

But I will say one thing: most gurus project a well cultivated guru-ish image, just like in the movies. Charisma!! But Amma was different. Not projecting any image at all. Very child-like (though, paradoxically, I've heard from multiple trusted sources that she's actually quite controlling).

My barometer to sort out folks who have really let go from those using spiritual practices to hang on yet more tightly (expanding ego via pride in their spiritual "attainment") is this: with the earnest ones, you wouldn't hesitate to walk up and suddenly start a game of slappy hands, as you might with a three year old. By contrast, those with a stake in projecting an image of spirituality tend to be super extra mature-seeming. It's like they've gone 180 degrees the other way. Letting go of the whole "image" thing leaves you childlike (you know what the bible says about little children and heaven!). Reinforcing self image ("I used to be lost in ego, but now I've transformed into a beautiful spiritual butterfly!") takes you the other way.

For what it's worth, Amma's devotees sell loads of stuff on the tours. It is all sold to raise money to support hundreds of charitable activities all over the world.

I got to see this in action once when the tsunami hit India in 2004. The village around Amma's ashram was wiped out completely with 150 people dead. All 10,000 people living in the village were evacuated to dry land. I was one of those evacuated. 10 schools which were unaffected by the tsunami were turned into refugee camps, with one thousand people in each school. For the next 4 months, in the ashram, we cooked for those 10,000 people, twice a day. Trucks went out, morning and evening to every school with big pots of cooked rice and vegetables in. It was unbelievable to be part of. Eventually, their homes were rebuilt, and they are now back in the village.

In all Amma donated 25 million dollars to help people affected by the tsunami, not just in her own village, but on the east side of India too which was much more badly hit. If it wasn't for all the things being sold on the tours, there wouldn't have been the money to feed those people, or to rebuild their homes.

And in case you're wondering, Amma doesn't actually have any money. She is effectively a nun, and lives in poverty. The money is owned by a charitable trust which is managed by trustees.

quote:And we were all led in a chant which was translated for us only after we'd finished chanting it...it turned out we were pledging our devotion and loyalty to Amma. Ick.

And again, for what it's worth, there aren't any chants where people pledge their devotion and loyalty to Amma. Amma isn't interested in that at all. You may have been confused because the word "Amma" means "Mother" and is used to refer to the "Mother of creation", or "God" in other words. There are chants in Sanskrit which are basically saying, I surrender myself before God. Amma (Amritanandamayi as she is also called) is into that. In a big way. And she tends to prefer the Mother aspect of the divine rather than the Father when it comes to chanting.

Thank you both, a couple of days back i've met Priyan here in Lebanon. He's been a resident at her ashram (for 10 years now) and it was pretty much as you said about Amma dear Jim.

The guy was very child like and i felt a presence around him which is something i've experienced for the first time. It was this sort of aura which made it easy to be quiet but it wasn't that much of an intense thing. All in all the meeting was pleasant and humble. And he pointed out the way for me to another teacher in his seventies who lives here in Beirut and makes a one week gathering with a group of 3 or 4 people and i've spoke with him and am going to meet tomorrow :-). He's a disciple of swami Chidananda the former president of the Divine life society.

I agree with Yogani that guru bashing is unproductive (gurus should be judged for their teachings, not their behavior), and a likely source of "flame wars" on this forum. And, as I said, I am ambivalent about Amma, and have no agenda "for" or "against". However, I think it's worth balancing your statement via other views. At very least, it will give Ananda more background in deciding whether to make this journey (again, I myself am ambivalent). But I'll have no further comment in this thread.

As I noted, on my 2005 visit the chant was translated (afterwards, which made it weirdly coercive - and it was not the only coercive element I picked up on), and the translation was as I'd described. I'm neither lying nor "confused". And, yes, I'm aware of the meaning of "amma".

I've had Darshan 3x now (she comes through Boston once a year), and really enjoyed the experience. I could feel the Silence in a couple of my chakras, particularly the 2nd time I went. She definitely exuded a childlike quality...particularly that smile! After 8 hrs of non-stop hugs she was laughing and smiling as if she had just sat down.

Dear Parallax, thank you for sharing your experience. And thank you guys for showing the ups and downs; I am very grateful. But please i would appreciate it very much if this discussion could be let go of and ended here.